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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Urghhhhhh! You need to do this especially if you do maintenance washes!

132 replies

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 30/07/2015 12:34

I do an empty hot wash about every 8 weeks and get the drawer out and give it a clean and scrub.

I've been pretty busy I forgot and haven't done it for a while so I did it a couple of days ago, since then it has STUNK to high heaven , imagine rotting vermin mixed with eggs

So I have done 3 hot washes since with soda crystals as it's obviously dislodged some gunk in the pipes.

Then the fabric conditioner compartment got blocked and wouldn't drain so I googled and it said to take a toothbrush to the roof of the drawer compartment to dislodge any gunk.

So I did, dear God, it was black with mouldy gunk, all the bottom was fine but I'd never thought to look at the top of itShockShockShock

Please go and look at yours and tell me I'm not the only manky mareGrin

OP posts:
OrangeOwl · 01/08/2015 05:23

Oh and take the drawer right out so it drys on the draining board.

MyPelvicFloorTrainsItself · 01/08/2015 08:09

I can't see it so I don't think about it.

Original poster
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 01/08/2015 08:16

Obviously wasn't as bad as my skanky machine then, it was too bad the ignore the smell of decaying bodies inside itEnvy Grin

OP posts:
irie · 01/08/2015 13:24

The lady from the washing machine company said never to put bleach in as it rots the plastic!? But she was selling me some crap to use for maintenance washes at the time so this may or may not be trueHmm

CiderwithBuda · 03/08/2015 17:07

I honestly thought my machine was really clean as I do 2 or 3 60 degree washes every week and a maintenance wash once a month or so and clean the drawer regularly. But clothes are coming out smelling so I took the drawer out. Def some black stuff there. It's currenlty got some bleach spray doing its thing and I will give it a scrub. Have already done 3 95 degree washes today and water still wasn't clear.

Will do another one and then one with soda crystals and vinegar. If that doesn't work I'll get that Dettol machine wash. Or I could just use Dettol I suppose.

Original poster
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 03/08/2015 17:56

The Dettol stuff sorts it and the machine is sparkling!

OP posts:
CiderwithBuda · 03/08/2015 19:23

Two more washes and water is still foamy! This wash has soda crystals and vinegar in. Will do one more later and see how that goes.

Nonnainglese · 03/08/2015 19:24

Having only just discovered mine has a filter (and am not brave enough to investigate the horrors within), I'm waiting for DH to come back. He loves
taking things apart rummaging around.

Apparently bleach rots the rubber door seal, so I always leave the door and drawer open, no pong or mould thank heavens, and service wash once a month with box of stuff from supermarket.

Mercedes519 · 03/08/2015 19:28

dame I blame you for the horror that I found looking at the ceiling of the fabric conditioner drawer. I didn't even need to - the machine doesn't smell and apart from the water backing up into the conditioner bit was fine.

It is now gleaming but eeeuggh...it was mank!

Original poster
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 03/08/2015 19:31

Ha ha ha Grin

Mine was so bad I didn't think it would ever get clean again, it REEKED!

OP posts:
Mercedes519 · 03/08/2015 20:06

It didn't smell at all but it came off in bits rather than just dirt...bleurgh...

Mercedes519 · 03/08/2015 20:06

Am filing your name for future reference in case you start another thread and make me do something equally horrible!

Binit · 03/08/2015 20:10

Do not use fabric conditioner.
Put your washing detergent directly onto the clothes.
Problem solved!

Dontbesilly · 03/08/2015 21:12

Can I just ask.....You know when you take the drawer out and clean that all out and your left with the square hole, well if I get a bottle brush and spray and attempt to clean out the empty hole and roof area.....well how do you rinse the hole out again before putting back the drawer....I did think of a spray bottle with just water in and squirting that in the empty hole to flush out any last gunk and detergent.....or am I over thinking this a bit Confused

Original poster
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 03/08/2015 21:13

Just wipe out the area with kitchen roll or a damp cloth.

OP posts:
CiderwithBuda · 03/08/2015 23:21

DH mentioned the filter tonight. So he is now on filter cleaning duty tomorrow. That'll learn him!

I use Surf liquid wash which goes straight into the drum in a cap and Lenor fabric softener. Might start using biological stuff for towels etc.

I did use Method for a while and liked it. Might try again.

My washing always used to smell lovely and I dry a lot inside on a pulley airer and it used to smell lovely and fresh. Doesn't anymore. Hoping all of this makes it smell nice again.

janetandroysdaughter · 03/08/2015 23:25

Fabric conditioner is evil stuff. Ours used to block the drains. It solidifies into great white lumps of foul smelling lard. I stopped using it and switched back to powder from liquid. Not had problems since, but it used to smell like mouldy onions.

CiderwithBuda · 03/08/2015 23:38

I tried not using it for a while but DS complained. Might try vinegar. Worried about smelling like a chippie though!

Fizrim · 04/08/2015 00:01

Since we moved to a hard water area, DH had to take the top off the machine and clean those softener-roof-vents that way the last time they blocked up. Never had that problem before, usually cleaning the drawer siphon did the trick.

I can tell if there is a problem apart from black mould if there is water left in the softener compartment after washing. Time to clean that tube!

rainbowunicorn · 04/08/2015 21:00

I am really surprised that so many people did not realise that the drawer in a washing machine needs to be cleaned. My washing machine came with instructions outlining this fact along with the need to clean the filter at the bottom. I wipe the inside of the drum, the door and seal after every wash, the drawer is taken out rinsed and dried. The roof of the drawer compartment is wiped over while the drawer is out. The whole thing takes perhaps a minute and a half.

Original poster
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 04/08/2015 21:09

I DID realise the drawer needing cleaning,it was the compartment that was rankGrin

OP posts:
rainbowunicorn · 04/08/2015 21:20

I also noticed that on my washing machine booklet it says to water down the fabric condition if it is the concentrated type

Original poster
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 04/08/2015 21:22

People read their washing machine booklets?!Shock

OP posts:
3littlefrogs · 05/08/2015 19:35

It is really easy to clean the hole that the drawer goes in - you need the following:
Bathroom cleaner with bleach - the sort you spray on and it foams up.
A bottle brush
An empty washing up liquid bottle.

Take the drawer out and leave it to soak in a bucket of hot water and washing up liquid.
Spray the bathroom cleaner all round the inside where the drawer goes in. Leave it for about 10 minutes.
Scrub all round the hole with the bottle brush - this loosens all the mildew and gunk.
Fill the empty washing up liquid bottle with hot water, then squirt the hot water all round the hole to rinse off the gunk and the bathroom cleaner.
Wipe it out with kitchen roll.
Rinse the bottle brush and then use it to scrub most of the fabric softener residue off the drawer.
Rinse drawer and brush and put them both through the dishwasher.
If you do it every couple of weeks it never gets too bad.
Smile

3luckystars · 05/08/2015 19:41

I have never cleaned or maintained anything, I try to stay away from the washing machine completely. I am going to have a look at ours. I will take pictures if it's bad.